Method of finishing flooring



June 1925- 1,540,110

E. C. DITTMAR METHOD OF FINISHING FLOORING Filed Sept. 14 1921 Patented June 2, 1925. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER C. DITTMAR, OF WILLIAMSIORT, PENNSYLVANIA, A-SSIGNOR TO THE CROOKS- DITTMAR COMPANY, OF WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF FINISHING FLOORING.

Application filed September 14, 1921. Serial No. 500,656.

To all whom it may concern: lumber I have preferably provided means Be it known that I, ELME'R G. DITTMAR, for guiding the strips in the passage therea citizen of the United States, residing at through so that the strip will be held and Williamsport, in the county of Lycoming moved in a defined path, the particular con- 5 and State of Pennsylvania, have invented struction of guiding means forming no part 60 certain new and useful Improvements in of this invention. MQthOdS Of Finishing FlOOIiIlg, Of which In the drawing the strip of In her to be the following is a specification, reference finished is indicated by the num ral 1, said beinghad therein to the accompanymg stripbeing propelled or moved through the drawing. aforesaid guiding means by a pair of feed 60 This invention relates to the method of rollers 2 and 3. The strip then passes befilling strips of lumber with a heavy filler tween a pair of brushes 4 and 5 for cleaning as disclosed in my Patent Number 1,339,- the dirt' and dust from the strip. The strip 106, granted to me May t, 1920, prior to the is then in condition to receive the filler and coating of the strip with varnish, the object in the drawing 6 indicates a receptacle bein to provide a method by means of adapted to contain a heavy filler which is whic strips of lumber can be filled very provided with a discharge opening over rapidly in such a manner that the pores of which the strip 1 passes so that filler will the strip of lumber will be complete y filled be applied to the strip in its passage there- 20 so that a smooth surface can be obtained by, said fillin receptacle 6 having a revowhen the varnish is applied. luble agitator mounted therein formed of a Another and further object of my invencentral hub portion 8 provided with'fiexible 7 tion is to provide a method in which a strip strips or fins 9 for wiping the filler into the of lumber is set in motion and while in mopores of the wood in its passage over the tion is first cleaned, then filled with a heavy ischarge opening and for maintaining the filler under pressure, then subjected to a filler at the proper consistency within the scraping action, then to a wiping action, and receptacle. then to a scraping action so that the filler The agitator is revolved in the opposite applied will be thoroughly rubbed in and direction to the movement of the material so 30 polished before it leaves the apparatus in' that at the point of a plication of the filler which the method is carried out. to the strip, the flexib e fins engage the strip A further object of the invention is to proand wipe the filler into the strip. This provide a method in which the various steps vides means for applying filler under prescooperate with one another so as to .thorsure as the agitator is so disposed within 35 oughly apply the filler to the surface of the the filling receptacle that the filler within strip in such a manner that it is forced into the receptacle is forced by the agitator the pores and all surplus removed therefrom against the strip in its movement past the before it leaves the apparatus in which the discharge opening and at the same time, the method is carried out, which enables the fins whlch are spirally arranged, will force strip to be at once passed throu h a varnish the filler against the strip and wipe the machine and given a coating of varnish. strip. The discharge opening being ar- Other and further objects and advantages ranged at the lower end of the filler recepof the invention will be hereinafter set forth tacle and by the fins or blades of the agita-, v and the novel features thereof defined by tor being spirally arranged forces the filler 45 the appended claims. to the bottom of the receptacleaand against In the drawings, the material under pressure. Figure 1 is a top plan view showing an Arranged alongside of the filler receptacle apparatus diagrammatically for carrying is a rubbing device 10 which is held against out my improved method of filling stripsof the'face of the strip "under tension so that lumber; and the filler thus applied is forced further into Figure 2 is a side elevation showing the the pores and a portion of the surplus reapparatus diagrammatically for carrying moved therefrom. out the method of filling strips of lumber. As the strip continues in.its movement In constructing an apparatus for carrying throughthe appftratus it is subjected to a 55 out my improved method of filling strips of series of end ru bing devices 11 which perform the function of forcing the filler further into the pores and wiping off the surplus of the filler applied and these end rubbing devices are preferably held in contact with the face of the strip under tension so that as the strip passes the rubbers, pressure is applied to the coating of filler on the strip so as to rub in and remove the surplus filler.

As the strip proceeds, it comes in contact with a series of wiping or bufling devices 12 which preferably are formed. of a central cross of leather fabric, rubber, wood or other material and a marginal brush formed of a series of brushes of leather fabric, rubber, wood or other material inserted in dislrs, said wiping or buffing devices being rotated in the direction as shown by the arrows in Figure 2, which is opposite to the direction of travel of the material and as these devices are revolving at a high rate of speed and in such a manner that they wipe crosswise of the grain of the material, the filler is forced further. into the pores and all surplus removed therefrom. As the wipers or buffers revolve, they act as means for drying the filler applied.

The face of the strip with the filler thus applied is then engaged by a series of end rubbing devices 13 constructed in substantially the same manner as the end rubbing devices 11 which act on the filler so as to force the same further into the pores of the wood and to remove any surplus which has not been removed.

Before the strip leaves the apparatus, it passes between a pair of revolving brushes 14 which remove any surplus of filler which has been forced on the edges of the strip of lumber so as to allow the strip to leave the apparatus in such a condition that the filler applied is not only forced into the pores of the wood but is given a polish so that it can then be placed in a varnish machine and a coating of varnish applied.

While in the drawing I have shown a certain number of filler devices, end rubbers, wipers and bufiing wheels, I am aware that the number of these devices employed for carrying out my method is immaterial as they can be increased or decreased as desired or to meet the demand as the character of material being operated on varies considerably as by increasing or decreasing the number of devices, various kinds of woods can be operated on successfully and therefore I do not wish to limit myself to the exact number of devices, as my invention consists broadly in a method of filling a strip of 1mm her with a heavy filler by applying a heavy filler to the face of the strip under pressure, then subjecting the same to lengthwise rubbing devices, then crosswise wiping devices and then lengthwise rubbing devicesso that the heavy filler applied will be thoroughly rubbed into to a certain extent or the pores and all surplus re moved therefrom and the filler applied dried sufficiently to allow a coating of varnish to be applied.

My method is the first step in pre-fininishing strips of lumber as clearly described in my companion applications, Serial Numbers 500,657; 500,658; 500,659; 500,660 and .500,- 661, filed September 14, 1921, and while I have only shown diagrammaticallysin this ap* plication an apparatus for carrying out my method, the particular construction of apparatus used is thoroughly illustrated in my companion applications and I have found that each of the operations set forth in the method herein described are essential in ap- Iplying a coating of filler to a strip of lum- What I claim is 1. The method of filling strips of lumber consisting in setting in motion a strip of lumber and while in motion applying a coating of filler thereto, subjecting the coating of filler applied first to a lengthwise scraping or rubbin action, then to a crosswise wiping or bu ng action, then to a lengthwise scraping or rubbing action for forcing the filler applied into the pores of the wood and for polishing and removing the surplus filler therefrom.

2. The method of finishing strips of lumber consisting in first cleaning the strip, then applying filler thereto under pressure, then rubbing the filler lengthwise of the pores of the strip, then wiping the filler crosswise into the pores of the strip, then rubbing the strip lengthwise and finally cleaning the edge of the strip of any surplus filler.

3. The method of finishing a strip of lumber consisting in continuously moving a strip of lumber and while in motion apply ing filler thereto, rubbing the strip lengthwise, then wiping it crosswise and then rubbing it lengthwise for forcing the filler into the pores of the wood and for removing the surplus therefrom.

4. The method of finishing a strip of lumber consisting in setting a strip of lumber in longitudinal motion and while it is in motion and without interru ting such motion applying a coating of filler to the surface thereof, then rubbing the strip lengthwise for forcing the filler into the pores of the wood and for removing the surplus therefrom, then wiping it crosswise for forcing the filler into the woodand for removing the surplus therefrom, thenwiping it lengthwise for forcing the filler into the wood and for removing the surplus ,therefrom.

5. The method of coating and finishing strips of lumber consisting in propelling the strip of lumber in a defined path, cleaning the strip while in motion, applying filler thereto while in motion, rubbing the filler into the pores of thewood while in motion then applying lengthwise of the grain, then wiping the filler into the pores of the wood crosswise of the grain and then rubbing the filler lengthwise of the grain and then cleaning the strip of the surplus filler.

6. The method of applying a filler to a strip of lumber consisting in setting astrip of lumber in longitudinal motion and while it is in motion and without interrupting such motion first cleaning the strip, then applying filler to the surface of the strip under pressure, then rubbing the strip lengthwise, then wiping the strip crosswise, then rubbing the strip lengthwise and finalcleaning the edges of the strip to remove tlie surplus filler therefrom. I

7. The method of finishing strips of flooring consisting in first cleanin the strip, filler thereto un er pressure, then rubbing the filler lengthwise into the pores of the strip, then wi ing the filler crosswise into the pores of t e strip, bufiing the same and then rubbing the strip lengthwise.

8., The method of finishing a strip of lumber consisting in setting a strip of lumber in longitudinal motion and while it is in longitudinal motion and without interrupting such motion, first cleaning the strip, then applying filler to the surface thereoi under pressure, then rubbing the filler lengthwise into the pores of the strip, then wiping the strip crosswise, then rubbing the strip lengthwise and finally cleaning the edges of the strip for removing the surplus therefrom.

9. A method of finishing a. strip of lumber consisting in continuously moving the strip of lumber and while in motion applyin a filler thereto, second subjectin the fil er applied to a rubbing action lengthwise of the strip, third wiping the strip crosswise and then subjecting the strip to a brushing action to remove the surplus filler therefrom.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

ELMER C. DITTMAR. 

